Tale of the Lost Uzbekistan Postcard

Postcard Introduction:

Postcard? What’s that? Like from the internet? Or do you mean a real postcard? A genuine one? A piece of paper adorned with beautiful photographs or images and handwritten text? Does that still exist? Who these days still sends real postcards that later turn into memories? How long does it take for a postcard to arrive these days?

And what is their journey like today? How long does it take for a postcard to traverse this modern world and reach its recipient, fulfilling its ultimate purpose for which it was created?

Back in the days of socialism, it took two days for a postcard to be delivered within Slovakia, a week within Europe, and up to 3 weeks from America. and Before it even took longer.

Today, an unusual activity, but I simply wanted to send a postcard to my wife and one-year-old daughter. Maybe this is the only one my daughter will ever receive in her life since today’s world is full of electronic messages. At least, I thought she would get it. But let’s start from the beginning. This postcard from Uzbekistan had the following story.

Postcard Story:

Vlado in the Uzbek city of Bukhara: Good day, can you sell me a postcard and a stamp, please? (I’m using my Russian.)

A stamp, so I can send a postcard back to Slovakia. After all, I need to send a postcard to my daughter and wife.

And I proudly add, “It will be her first postcard, and not the last :)” TThe lady gives me a choice of postcards, gives me stamps, I pay, and then continue my trip through the city. I write a greeting in a café, but I don’t see any mailbox or post office around, so I carry the postcard with me. Later, I found out that postcards are sent at the same stand where I bought the postcard.

In the morning, I left the hotel, and I didn’t have time to go to the stand to send the postcard. I ask at the reception if I could leave the postcard with them to send. The answer is, “Of course!”

I think: Excellent, problem solved.

After Uzbekistan, I’ll travel to Tajikistan with my friend Tom, and then we’ll head home.

At home, I’m waiting for a surprise for my family, months go by, and the postcard still hasn’t arrived. It crossed my mind that the hotel owner might not have sent it at all or took the stamps. Why would he need them?

My friend Tom handed in the postcard in the shop:
Me: Tom, did your postcard arrive?
Tom: No, nothing.
Me: Hmm, well, if not, then not. 

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Conclusion:

In the morning, I get up and go to the office, my head is buzzing from a demanding client. The phone rings. I answer it, “Vladkoo, our postcard has arrived, thank youu”. I had completely forgotten about the postcard. Excuse me, what postcard? Then it clicked, ah, Uzbekistan. After 7 months, a postcard from Uzbekistan arrived. 🙂

What lesson can be learned from this? Don’t get your hopes up, but never lose hope; everything has its time. 😀 And although postcards used to travel for a month, today, they can travel even for 7 months.